The service was developed in response to concerns from mental health professionals in London hospitals about a lack of services relevant to “hard to reach” patients who may be unresponsive to conventional therapies, non-compliant with medication or experiencing difficulties engaging with other activities or services.

We aim to have a positive impact on health and wellbeing through reducing symptoms and relapse rates, increasing leave privileges and contributing to discharge plans for in-patients, and creating new life opportunities for people using specialist mental health services in the community.

Our intake is through referrals from multi-disciplinary in-patient and community mental health teams. We work closely with health and social care professionals including nursing staff, occupational therapists, social workers, psychologists and psychiatrists throughout engagement.

Client progress and outcomes recorded through observation, feedback and evaluation

Music and Mental Health

Music can play a valuable role in recovery from mental illness. It can stimulate emotional and aesthetic responses, develop creative, technical, social and vocational skills, improve expression, communication, confidence and self-esteem, and facilitate positive changes in behaviour and wellbeing.

Our structured programme promotes recovery and encourages progression to new life opportunities through in-reach engagement in hospitals and pathways to mainstream creative and vocational music activities in the community.

We now work in partnership with NHS in-patient and secondary mental health services and statutory and voluntary sector health and social care agencies across the UK to provide services for over 3,000 people in psychiatric hospitals and the community each year.